Because so much happens in this one issue, we need to delve into some of them and discuss what it could mean. That means there will be some spoilers for JUSTICE LEAGUE #44. That being said, we're still not going to spoil everything. Trust us, you need to read this issue for yourself. We did our best to condense the developments to the top five big things. There's still much more going on here.

The Joker Might be a...God?

Nothing like starting out an issue with a big tease. Wonder Woman is narrating and talking about her mother and the God of Laughter, Gelos. We see an image of Joker while this is going on and it cuts to Batman, sitting in the Mobius Chair. The Mobius Chair has allowed Batman to discover pretty much all knowledge and the first question he asked was about the Joker's real name. He was a bit shocked when he got the answer. Could it be that he discovered Joker is actually a god?

Maybe this is just a big tease. Batman could have Joker on his mind still. Joker being a god would explain some things but just seems like a huge change to the history of the character. Let's place a pin on this one as we wait to see what Geoff Johns has up his sleeve here.

Superman vs Lex Luthor with Superman Not Holding Back

Superman and Lex are trapped on Apokolips. Superman was starting to lose his powers due to the lack of a yellow sun. Lex decided to drop Superman into a solar energy pit and it had quite an effect on him. Superman is clearly being a little irrational and decides to settle things with Lex, despite them currently being teammates.

If Superman is amped up now and not thinking clearly, does Lex stand a chance?

The Black Racer is Unleashed

As the battle between Darkseid and Anti-Monitor cranks up, Darkseid decides he's had enough and summons the Black Racer. The Black Racer is basically the Grim Reaper. There are other repercussions to him/it being summoned. If you're familiar with the Black Racer, you know its connection to another being, you might be able to imagine what happens here.

Secrets Revealed about Anti-Monitor

While the fight is going down, Batman and Hal Jordan have journeyed to the Anti-Monitor's birthplace, Qward. There's a lot they discover including the origin of the Mobius Chair, the Anti-Monitor's real name, and a big revelation dealing with the beginning of the universe.

Johns is laying out some huge revelations here and it'll cool to see what this could all mean in the long run. It does make you look at things a bit differently.

The Death of...

Even though this isn't an official comic book 'event' in the sense that it encompasses several titles and characters, in some ways it really is. The big players in the DCU are present (except Aquaman!) and things are escalating to big proportions. It doesn't seem like you can have an event without a death, right? Well, we do get a pretty big one here. Since this is just chapter 4, there's no telling what this death will mean. We have to assume somehow the death won't stick. There's still plenty more left to the story. It did provide a pretty shocking image. And of course we're not going to reveal this bit. Hopefully you'll read it for yourself rather than seek out the answer.

JUSTICE LEAGUE #45 is currently set to be released on October 21. What did you think of these developments?

I don't think Johns was trying to imply Joker is a god, just using him as a comparison while diving into Bruce's mad obsession. Ugh, knowing comic fans people will think this one small rumor is now a cannon fact, and then in a year people will start asking 'What happened to Joker being a god?"

Great BatGod now JokerGod, I'm so done with batman hype someone else up. I dont even like Aquaman but I'll gladly take him over Batman anyday. Seriously how would this story have gone had Highfather been victorious in Godhead?

I doubt that was the real Darkseid, he never used the omega effect

If Darkseid controls the black racer then that explains Stepphenwolf being alive.

Please, if you thought things were wrong with this issue go into detail I would like to hear about them. Also was Joker just used as an example of a laughing god or is he actually being a god?

The Joker was used as an example of a sadist. But people are people.

The things wrong were:

The use of the Anti-life equation. It now has been degraded into a power source. And it doesn't make sense.

Black Racer is Darkseid's lap dog now?

All out Superman vs Luthor and Superman only drew some blood?

Using his Deus ex, Anti Monitor fuses Flash with the Black Racer because...reasons.

Anyway the issue was fun, but the writing is lackluster in parts and some of the ideas are meh.

Anti Monitor already explained he needed to merge the Flash with Black Racer to control the Black Racer with Anti-life equation.

Superman going all out and drew only drops of blood; you shouldnt read to much into that. When batman had bane level strength in the early issues of New52 batman series he drew blood from superman as well.

Anti Monitor already explained he needed to merge the Flash with Black Racer to control the Black Racer with Anti-life equation.

Superman going all out and drew only drops of blood; you shouldnt read to much into that. When batman had bane level strength in the early issues of New52 batman series he drew blood from superman as well.

i agree joker is no God that's just silly.

Yeah...but how? That power literally came out of nowhere. He explained it right before he did it. Its Deux ex.

I know but it is stupid anyway. They shouldn't have played that angle. Except that it is trite, it also creates holes.

Yes its been a fun ride but IMO Darkseid does not come across as a dare I say it a prep master.

He knew the Anti-matter was on Earth with his daughter waiting for him and overconfident in his own power came and thought he could pound the AM into the dirt. He walked right into the Anti-Matter's obvious trap.

I take the Joker thing as just an analogy and also to fade into Batman and Green Lantern's scene. Wonder Woman was talking, why would she reference Joker?

Otherwise every one of those moments was paced and executed spectacularly. Haven't Enjoyed a single issue of a superhero comic like this in a while. That black racer entry, oh man..

And the corrupted Superman Lex scene, as much as i loathe the evil superman exhaustingly overdone trope, the way that scene was written i kept hearing Supe's voice as it was in Superman vs The Elite when he goes all out, "What To do Next?" Can totally hear George Newburn's voice when i read that.

first he's an evil robot or some crap, now everyone thinks he's a god? the great thing about Joker was always that he's just a regular guy, nothing abnormal about him, who got bleached and went off the deep end

The Joker thing could be a possibility, they were trying to elude to the fact he might be immortal in Endgame. Plus it almost makes sense the amount of times he has died and come back, and the hits he has taken.

Between the retcon of the Anti Life equation being something to do with Anti Monitor rather than Darkseid, the randomness of Darkseid being able to summon the Black Racer, the mere idea of Joker being an actual god and the cliche of Superman being turned evil again, this issue of Darkseid War seems to be turning into more of a fizzle rather than a bang. It's fine for dumb silly fun but this character driven personal tale Johns was advertising in interviews has yet to come to fruition for me.

@squalleon: You're reading too much into stuff yourself. Darkseid and Anti Monitor have been portrayed ridiculously powerful. Anti Monitor dismantled Earth 3 by himself and killed billions of people. He also was able to subdue and control Harbinger in the original crisis. It's certainly in the realm of possibility that he can control flash and merge him with Black Racer. As for Darkseid summoning Black Racer, he has been preparing for this fight for a long time, very likely he found out a way to control him. In the end this the wide blockbuster comic that'll have characters becoming new god and fighting 2 of the biggest villains of DCU, if we get nitpicky here, book will lose its meaning.

@squalleon: You're reading too much into stuff yourself. Darkseid and Anti Monitor have been portrayed ridiculously powerful. Anti Monitor dismantled Earth 3 by himself and killed billions of people. He also was able to subdue and control Harbinger in the original crisis. It's certainly in the realm of possibility that he can control flash and merge him with Black Racer. As for Darkseid summoning Black Racer, he has been preparing for this fight for a long time, very likely he found out a way to control him. In the end this the wide blockbuster comic that'll have characters becoming new god and fighting 2 of the biggest villains of DCU, if we get nitpicky here, book will lose its meaning.

Not at all. Because I am not reading all that, I actually find it rediculous.

You are using assumptions to justify the story. I am not gonna debate an obvious flaw of the story.

Because Anti is a Universal villain it doesn't mean he can pullpowers out of his hat.

Off screen assumptions of what might happen, doesn't help the story either.

Its not nitpicky when big elements of the DCU get retconned so heavily just to move the story forward without any previous build-up or exposition.

I still don't understand why the Black Racer is used instead of Black Flash. Like this is a case for Black Racer, but after Barry 'died' in Crisis, he was seen in different comics being chased by Black Flash and Black Racer interchangeably. It really confuses me.

Please, if you thought things were wrong with this issue go into detail I would like to hear about them. Also was Joker just used as an example of a laughing god or is he actually being a god?

The Joker was used as an example of a sadist. But people are people.

The things wrong were:

The use of the Anti-life equation. It now has been degraded into a power source. And it doesn't make sense.

Black Racer is Darkseid's lap dog now?

All out Superman vs Luthor and Superman only drew some blood?

Using his Deus ex, Anti Monitor fuses Flash with the Black Racer because...reasons.

Anyway the issue was fun, but the writing is lackluster in parts and some of the ideas are meh.

Agreed with all of your points. I mean Deathstroke was going to blow Luthor's head during Forever evil because he didn't have protectiong but now he can take a punch from a bloodlusted Superman.

the great "Power levels are bulls**t" raises it head again I see. I know sometimes Luthor is meant to have a force field around his head, but surely a no holding back Superman would still have sent Luthor flying? Unless when he turns back he loses his morals and a chunk of power.

@squalleon: i mean Darkseid has absorbed bunch of new gods which will possess our heroes so him summoning black racer is what bothers you, alright i guess. Or the Anti God who can destroy universes, whose extent of power are left ambiguous controlling a character far inferior in power is bad writing? And Anti Monitor knew Black Racer was coming so he wouldn't prepare for him i guess.

Anti Monitor already explained he needed to merge the Flash with Black Racer to control the Black Racer with Anti-life equation.

Superman going all out and drew only drops of blood; you shouldnt read to much into that. When batman had bane level strength in the early issues of New52 batman series he drew blood from superman as well.

i agree joker is no God that's just silly.

Yeah...but how? That power literally came out of nowhere. He explained it right before he did it. Its Deux ex.

I know but it is stupid anyway. They shouldn't have played that angle. Except that it is trite, it also creates holes.

That's not the same as deus ex machina. Deus ex machina implies that a development comes completely out of left field without any build up at all. Johns literally spent the whole issue building up to the reveal that Anti-Monitor had power of the anti-life equation.

@lvenger: I'm not well versed in darkseid or anything to do with them new gods at all so I wouldn't know darkseids significance to the anti life or the anti life eqaution thingamajig. But I doubt it's as cut and dry as it seems.

That's not the same as deus ex machina. Deus ex machina implies that a development comes completely out of left field without any build up at all. Johns literally spent the whole issue building up to the reveal that Anti-Monitor had power of the anti-life equation.

Again, that doesn't explain how he fuses Flash with Black Racer. Controlling Flash, sure, but fusing them? How? Did they danced and I missed it?

@squalleon: i mean Darkseid has absorbed bunch of new gods which will possess our heroes so him summoning black racer is what bothers you, alright i guess. Or the Anti God who can destroy universes, whose extent of power are left ambiguous controlling a character far inferior in power is bad writing? And Anti Monitor knew Black Racer was coming so he wouldn't prepare for him i guess.

When did that happen?

Of course. As I said repeatedly before, controlling Flash, is easy, but the FUSING them with the Black Racer? How? Pulling powers out of a hat, because "Anti Is Op" doesn't justify the move.

@thedailybagel: Technically yes though they did jack nothing to Anti Monitor. The same wasn't true in reverse. Though I swear it makes no sense for Darkseid to be killed by an Anti Life being.

It doesn't make any sense consider what the Anti-life is. It has been turned completely into a power source rather than what it actually is. A "equation", that shows Darkseid is the destined ruler of all.

Its not a power.

And like @entropy_aegis said, this "Anti-life" is a retcon waiting to happen. It makes Anti-life look like a reverse GL spectrum.

@squalleon: Exactly right, the Anti Life equation isn't a source of power like an anti Emotional spectrum or part of the Source Wall, it's an equation which Darkseid wants to subjugate all life and free will in the universe. Moreover, the Anti Monitor was never tied to the Anti Life equation, he drew his power from the Anti Matter universe itself and discovered that he could increase his power by destroying positive matter universes and converting that energy into anti matter. This doesn't make sense with Anti Monitor's backstory.

@squalleon: Exactly right, the Anti Life equation isn't a source of power like an anti Emotional spectrum or part of the Source Wall, it's an equation which Darkseid wants to subjugate all life and free will in the universe. Moreover, the Anti Monitor was never tied to the Anti Life equation, he drew his power from the Anti Matter universe itself and discovered that he could increase his power by destroying positive matter universes and converting that energy into anti matter. This doesn't make sense with Anti Monitor's backstory.

Το be honest I have no problems with the ideas, but rather with the way the are presented. No build-up, they just appear suddently and as a result look like plot conviniences to justify the direction.

If we knew about the Anti-life before hand, this fight would have even better impact, because we would know why Darkseid and Anti are fighting. It would made it personal.

@squalleon: as Darkseid died huge power erupted out of him, that's the power/spirits of new gods because in next issue heroes will become fused with new gods. As for how Anti Monitor fused Black racer with flash isn't explained but Anti Monitor did know that Darkseid would bring Black Racer to the fight, so he would've prepared for it.